Movable loading-platform.



l. C. A. ANDERSON.

MOVABLE LOADING PLATFORM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-23.1916.

Patnntod Nov. 27, 1917.

2 Slim-SHEET 1.

IOHI C. A. ANDERSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IOVAIBLE Lemme-rumour.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

Application fled September '23, 1916. Serial Io. 121.863.

To all wlaom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. A. Annmsox, a citizen of the United States residing at Chicago, in the eonnty'of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Movable Loading-Platforms, of which the followmg 15 a full, clear, concise, and exact description,

drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to movable loading platforms, and has for its object the provision of a movable loading platform w ich is of particular utility in conveying automobiles or similar objects from place to place within a building. As one form of use, I may point out for instance that under present day congested conditions it has become necessary in order to store automobiles, especially in downtown districts, to provide buildings which usually have several floors devoted to the storage of autobiles, and in which the automobiles are allotted the smallest possible amount of space consistent with safe handling. It has been found that the placing of cars under their own motive powerinto the stalls and t e withdrawal of the cars therefrom necessitates the provision of too large an amount of valuable space. The speed of handling is also of course of prime importance. In a concrete case where a storage garage has space for two hundred cars, lt'ls the cus tom that these cars are called for within a very short space of time toward the end of the day, and are brought in within a very short period at the beginning of the day. Consequently if these cars are handled under their own motive power, it would take two hundred times the amount of time required for any one car to get them all out, wh ch of course would be prohibitive.

To obviate this difliculty, I have provided a device or platform by virtue of which cars maybe very rapidly placed in or withdrawn from respective stalls, and quickly delivered to an elevator or other point of or egress.

will explain my invention more in detail by referring to the accompanying,

drawings, illustrating the same, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a storage it improved loading platform;

room equ pped for the use of my Fig. 2 is a top view of the loading platform enlarged;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the platform shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an end view thereof;

Pg. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view along line a-a of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an end view partly in section of the structure illustrated in Fig. 5, together with a rail, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view along line b-b of Fig.

Referring more particular] to Fig. l, I show a plan view of a room having a floor 1 to which automobiles or similar objects are brought by means of the elevator indicated by the elevator platform 2, an automobile 3, for instance,-heing shown upon this platform. My improved device 4 is designed to receive the automobile 3, whereupon the device is rolled along the rail 5 as will presently appear to a ition o site the stall wherein the car i s t o he pla c d, whereupon the platform is swung angularly into the dotted position. for instance, as shown in Fig. 1; whereupon the automobile may be withdrawn therefrom and rolled into its place in the stall. It will thus be seen that the cars can be placed side by side .with practically no waste space between them. Moreover, the free space in the center of the room between the stalls need be but little larger than the length of a car, as under this arrangement the cars do not need to be taken out under their own motive power.

.As will be presently explained, the plat f rm 4 isprovided with a roller 8 ada ted to cotiperate with a rail 5, the plat orln itself being pivotally mounted upon the roller support so that. the platform can be swung around without the necessity of having the roller leave the rail. Suitable brakes or stops 9, pieferrbly in the form of door checks, may be employed to hold the platform in any given position when-. ever it is desired to prevent movement of the platform. as when a car is being rolled into position thereon or withdrawn therefrom.

By referring more particularly to Figs. 2. 3 and 4 I show my improved device as consisting of two channels 10 and 11 running lengthwise of the platform, which channels are elevated only a very slight distance above the floor, and which are ato receive the wheels of the vehicle, as more clearly apparent fromFig. 4. These channels are held together by cross-braces 12 13,414, 15,16 and 17 suitably fastened in position preferably by being riveted, as

Angle plates 18 are provided at the corners, which angle plates pivotally carry suitable casters or rollers 19. Suitable angle plates 20 are also provided at the various corners to pivotally car a. second series of casters or rollers 21. T e manner of supporting the casters 21 is shown more clearly inv Fig. l. Centrally of the device I provide ti a: roller 8 which cofiperates, as before stated. with the rail 5. This roller 8 is pivotally mounted in the hanger 22, which hanger has an upper spherical surface as shown at 23 on top of which is placed a shim 24. so that the level of the platform relative to. the floor may be adjusted by the use of more or less of the washers or shims '24. The hanger 22 likewisehas an upwardly extending bolt 25 by virtue of. which through the use of the nut 26 it is held in position uponthe bearing block 27 This bearing block 27 is suitabl'y held in the cross-pieces 14- and 15 by the It will be noted that the adjustment of the. central roller 8 is such that if the platform. is equally. balanced,.none of the casters .19 or 21 touch the floor, as is more clearly apparent from Figs. 3 and 4. When, however, the platform is-in use, naturally some of the casters will touch the floor during the rollingrof-the. platform from place to place. Duets the fact however that these casters do not touch the floor regularly at all points, an easy swinging of. the platform about the central. rollerv 8 is powible, thus to swing it fromthe full position of Fig. I to the dotted, position thereof. The roller 8 has a flange 29- 'more thoroughly to cooperate with the rail 5 this roller being suitably held by theshaft 30 within the hanger 22.

From what has been described. it is thought the nature of my inventionwill be readily clear tothose skilled in the art.

Having however thus described one form which my invention may take, what. I. claim as-new and desire to secure by Letters Pat-- out is: p

1.- A: device of the character described comprising a platform, a. roller: .for said platform substantially midway between its sides, and a bearing for. said roller pivotally 'and-tiltingly associated with said platform.

- platform substantially midway between its ....s1dcs,;a bearing. forsaid-roller-pivotally and 2. A device of the character described comprising a platform, a roller for. said withsaid. platform, and 'aiplurahty of-eagugpliary rollers carried by said platform, the: mounting of said "aforesaid roller projecting downwardly becomprising ,a platform, a roller for said low said auxiliary r'ollers.

3. A device of the character described comprising a platform, a roller for said platform substantially midway between its sides. said roller having means about its periphery for confining itto a rail, and a. bearing for said roller pivotally and tiltingly associated with said platform.

4. A device of the character described comprising a platform, a roller for said platform substantially midway between its sides. said roller having means about its periphery for confining it to a. rail,.a bearing for said roller pivotally and tilti'ngly associated with said platform, the tilting mounting of said platform permitting one or more of said auxiliary rollers to touch the floor, said first aforesaid roller projecting downwardly below said auxiliary rollers.

55. A device of the character described comprising a platform, a roller for said platform substantially midway between its sides, a bearing for said roller pivotally and tiltingly associated with said'platform, and friction brakes carried by said platform.

6. A device of the character described platform substantially midway between its sides, abearing for said roller pivotally and tiltingly associatedwith said platform, a plurality of auxiliary rollers carried.by said platform, the tilting mounting of said platform permitting one or more of. said auxil iary rollers to touch the floor, said first aforesaid roller projecting downwardly belowsaid auxiliary rollers, and friction brakes carriedby-saidplatform.

7. A device of the character described comprising a. platform, a roller for said platform substantially midway between its sides, said roller: having means about its periphery for confining it to a rail, a beraing for said roller pivotally and tiltingly asso- 'ciated with: said platform, and friction brakes carried by said platform. a

8. A device of the character described comprising. a platform, a rollerfor said platform substantially midway between its sides, said roller. having means about its periphery for confining it to a rail, aj bearing for said roller pivotally and tiltingly associated with said platform, the tilting mounting. of said' platform permitting one or more of'said. auxiliary rollers to touch the floor, said first aforesaid roller projecting downwardly below said auxiliary. rollers, and friction brakes carried by-said platform..

9'.- A device of the character described com rising; a patte n, a roller. for said pla orm substantially midway between its sides, and a bearin .fer said-roller. pivotally and tiltingly associated with said platform, 1.80

said platform having a pair of runways longitudinally thereo adapted to guide the wheels of a vehicle when placed upon said platform.

10. A device of the character described comprising a platform, a roller for said platform substantially midwa between its sides, a bearing for said ro ler pivotally and tiltingly associated with said platform, and a plurality of auxiliary rollers carried by said platform, the tilting mounting of said platform permitting one or more of said auxiliary rollers to touch the floor, said first atbresaid roller projecting downwardly below said auxiliary rollers, said platform having a pair of runways longitudinally thereof adapted to guide the wheels of a vehicle when placed upon said platform.

11. A device of the'character described comprising a platform, a roller for said platform substantially midway between its sides, said roller having means about its )eriphcry for confining it to a rail, and a arlng for said roller pivotally and tiltingly associated with said platform, said platform having a pair of runways longitudinally thereof adapted to guide the wheels of a vehicle when placed upon said platform.

12. A device of the character described comprising a platform, a roller for said platform substantially midway between its sides. said roller havin means about its periphery for confining It to a rail, a hearing for said roller pivotally and tiltingly associated with said platform, the tilting mounting of said platform permitting one or more of said auxiliary rollers to touch the floor, said first aforesaid roller projecting downwardly below said auxiliary rollers, said )latform having a pair of runways longitudinally thereof adapted to guide the wheels of a vehicle when placed upon said platform.

13. A device of the character described comprising a platform, a roller for said i 0 platform substantially at its center, and a bearing for said roller pivotally and tiltingly associated with said platform.

14. A device of the character described com rising a platform, a roller for said plat orm substantially at its center, a hearing for said roller pivotally and tiltin ly associated with said platform, and a p uralit of auxiliary rollers carried by said plat orm, the tilting mounting of sai platform permitting one or more of said auxiliary rollers to touch the floor, said first aforesaid roller projecting downwardly below said auxiliary rollers.

15. A device of the character described comprising a platform, a roller for said platform substantially at its center, and a bearing for said roller pivotally and tiltingly associated with said platform, said platform having a pair of runways longitudinally thereof adapted to guide the wheels of a vehicle when placed upon said platform.

16. A device of the character described comprising a platform, a roller for said platform substantially at its center, a bearing for said roller pivotally and tiltin ly associated with said platform, and a p uralit of auxiliary rollers carried b said latfbrm, the tilting mounting of said platorm permitting one or more of said auxiliary rollers to touch the floor, said first aforesaid roller projecting downwardly be- .low said auxiliary rollers, said platform having a pair of runways lon tudinally thereof adapted to guide the wlleels of. a. vehicle when-placed upon said platform.

17. A device of the character described comprising a platform, and a roller for said platform pivotally and tiltingly associated therewith.

18. A device of the character described comprising a platform, said platform having a pair of runways, and a roller for said platform pivotally and tiltingly associated therewith.

19. A device of the character described comprising a platform, a roller for said" platform pivotally and tiltingly associated therewith, and a rail for said roller to confine its movement along which said platform and roller are movable to and fro.

20. A device of the character described comprising a platform, said platform having a pair of runways, a roller for said platform pivotally and tiltingly associated therewith, and a rail for saidroller to confine its movement along which said platform and roller are movable to and fro.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this seventh day of September A. D., 1916.

Max W. ZABEih, Hazm. A. Jones.

60111:! 0! this patent may be obtained tor ave cent: each, by addressing the "Oommluloner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

